07/31/24 - Dall Cuore alle Mani: Dolce&Gabbana is a biographical exhibition of the striking creations of these two Italian couturiers, currently on display at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. In each piece they aim to exalt the cultural values ​​of all artistic expressions, such as painting, music and cinema.

For this post we chose a men's garment, which has the painting "Portrait of a Musician", by Leonardo Da Vinci embroidered on it, as it allows us to talk not only about the appropriation of Leonardo's portrait but also make a comment on the painting itself because, as everything in this artist's universe, it is a mystery. Until now it is the only known male portrait of Leonardo and perhaps it was never completed, because apparently the last brushstrokes belong to his workshop. 

This painting on wood shows the image of a young man in a three-quarters profile (which makes one doubt that the painting was entirely made by Leonardo), reflecting in the face, despite the rigidity of the posture, a inner emotion that borders on melancholy. According to some biographies, the painting was not a commission but rather Leonardo did it out of his own desire, invaded by the beauty of the young man, not only of his face but of his hair. In Walter Isaacson's book where he studies the artist's life in depth, it is explained that the person portrayed was Atalante Migliorotti, Leonardo's young musician companion in Florence until his move to Milan.